On Side Restoration Services Ltd.

Fire & Water Damage Restoration
Vancouver BC V5M 2E9
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Fire & Water Damage Restoration
On Side Restoration Services Ltd.
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Reviews for On Side Restoration Services Ltd.

Average customer rating:
8.1 10 (259 reviews)

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Revelstoke Rob
Revelstoke Rob
1 review Revelstoke, BC
0/10

46 Defects and counting

After a flood in our house Onside were engaged to restore our house. At this stage we have delt with 45 defects after the works were complete some have been resolve the majority have not.

The defects include plumbing that backflows, electrical wires on the outside of a wall stud causing the drywall to bow, tiles and floor boards with scratches, heating vents installed into the wrong room and many other defects.

The last time On-side visited our house was to investigate a loud knocking noise that was coming from our sewer pipes. During the investigation 2 other behind the drywall defects were identified. In this case the drain for the shower had been installed without access from below and had been installed incorrectly with a flow in the upward direction away from the fixture. The other issue was that the range vent piping had been crushed during its installation.

On a prior investigation into why our heated floors had failed it was discovered that the 120v heated floors had been wired to 240 circuits likely overheating the insulation in the floor mat. This was when a live wire running around a wall stud was also discovered.

During the restoration works onside caused a backup in our sewer lines and attempted to invoice us blaming the age of the house and maintenance. We have since had 12 further sewer backup one resulting in damages to our basement.

Much of our plumbing works completed during the restoration process does not meet the national plumbing code, we have water in vents that should be dry, bathroom floor drains that syphon when toilets are flushed, knocking noises from expansion and contraction of sewer pipes, all of which did not exist before onside worked on our house.

Onside left our house with plumbing issues, electrical safety issues and many defects that if not addressed will certainly lead to future problems. The general work quality such as flooring, tiling was substandard however the drywall, painting and woodwork was fine. Onsides contractors were highly unprofessional discussion other jobs they had worked on where similar issues had been experienced.

After advising the area manager Neville of our concern in finding 2 new behind the drywall issues, Onside responded advising they would not investigate any other issues at this stage.

With my experience to date I could not recommend anyone use onside for anything other than the most basic of restoration works

Approximate cost of services:
$350,000.00
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Doris Shamina in Surrey
Doris Shamina in Surrey
1 review Surrey, BC
10/10

Water Damage

Feeling so overwhelmed by water damage in my bedroom. The two ladies where so kind, caring, helpful, and reassuring.

Approximate cost of services:
$1,000.00
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Company Response

Sorry to hear you are experiencing water damage, Doris. Very happy to hear our staff were kind, caring, helpful, and reassuring. Thank you for sharing. Sincerely, On Side Restoration.

Margie
Margie
1 review Qualicum Beach, BC
10/10

Flooding from broken water pipe during abnormal cold period

On Side at my home today for initial inspection. Staff were knowledgeable and efficient. Alex is the project manager and explained her findings to me in a clear and understandable way. Rylee was the water tech and explained his role. I was upset about this disaster in my home and Rylee was very reassuring and thoughtful. He helped to put my mind at ease. I am glad I have On Side on my side. Thanks guys

Approximate cost of services:
$6,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you so much for sharing Margie. These situations can be very stressful, especially when facing them for the first time. We're very happy to hear our team was knowledgeable, efficient, and empathetic. Hoping the response and restoration process goes smoothly for you. Sincerely, On Side Restoration.

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Oakville, ON
0/10

Deplorable

A shared client has an insurance claim at her property post fire. The client is so exacerbated with the project manager from On Side and the poor workmanship of the contractor they hired, that the client has me now acting on her behalf.

These comments only have to do with a second floor deck that was not laid properly.

I have personally witnessed the project manager dismiss and patronize the homeowner. The client is caught in an endless wheel of buck-passing.

I have never been witness to such poor customer service as she is receiving from On Side.

The workmanship was so poor that it needs to be replaced. The project manager, nor the contractor he hired, would not provide samples of the decking that needs replacing despite asking her to choose a colour. The project manager cited 'not being a retailer' of the product as his reasoning for not providing. (I was able to source and have samples mailed to the client in under 3 minutes.).

On Side has aligned themselves with a "contractor" who initially installed the decking. Said contractor did not install the product properly, as was determined by the manufacturer. Neither party will take any satisfactory action to resolve the poor workmanship.

I firmly believe that the way one does anything is the way they do everything. Heed this warning and NEVER use On Side.

Approximate cost of services:
$28,000.00
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Company Response

Hello. We are forwarding this on to our Quality Assurance team for review. Can you please share additional details via email to qualityassurance@onside.ca so this can be investigated properly. Details including address where the work is being completed would be helpful to view the job file and history. Sincerely, On Side Restoration.

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Toronto, ON
0/10

Trash

Flood damage required restoration. The services were terrible. Contractors often delayed. Some of them arrived on the job tired. The workmanship was sloppy. Took 3 months to fix a 6ft bathroom

Approximate cost of services:
$5,000.00
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Company Response

Very sorry to hear this. We would like to look into your concerns further with the branch that worked with you. Can you please provide additional details to qualityassurance@onside.ca including name and address where work was completed? This will allow up to view the job file and discuss with the team involved. Sincerely, On Side Restoration.

Cristina in Calgary
Cristina in Calgary
0 reviews Calgary, AB
10/10

Excellent, Attentive Group of People

My place was flooded by tenant upstairs and from the moment On Side came through my insurance to the moment they were done, On Side took care of me and my belongings with care, and phone calls reassuring me as we went along. Thank you Bradley and the other project manager for keeping me informed. The cleanup crew were great also, packing up and moving my belongings out and back in. Awesome work.

Approximate cost of services:
$0.00
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Company Response

Sorry that a flood brought us together, but thank you for the opportunity to assist and for the very kind review Christina. We're happy that our team took great care. Sincerely, On Side Restoration.

SamAshley
SamAshley
1 review Vancouver, BC
0/10

Small room repair

The worst service ever. No communication. Random times people are showing up without any notice. Emails and texts gone unanswered while a room is sitting half done for months.
Terrible project manager who never responds after saying people will be coming on a certain day with no shows.

Approximate cost of services:
$1,234.00
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Dan in Toronto
Dan in Toronto
0 reviews Toronto, ON
4/10

Insurance repair

After 24 years without a problem, this April we had flooding in our basement living space. We contacted our insurance who recommended Onside for the repair. After waiting until the frost was gone we were able to fortify the foundation and schedule the repairs. Onside scheduled their people to come in after the repairs were done. After the repair job was complete and while the contents were being returned to the house, a family heirloom was broken, that was June 1st and its August now but we have still not been reimbursed for the damages. The item was broken because it wasnt handled properly, thats negligence and it never should have happened. It was handled poorly and it was broken, gone forever and theres nothing anyone can do now to bring it back. You would think Onside would want to make the best of a situation like that but it doesnt seem to be a priority. Onside have irretrievably damaged our property and given the resolution the lowest priority possible. I expect their suppliers get paid in a reasonable amount of time but a customer who has already been traumatized by the damage cause by flood now has to endure the loss of a precious family heirloom and be made to wait a ridiculous amount of time . Its cruel and insensitive not to mention the additional stress and anxiety not knowing when if ever Onside will provide their promised resolution.
The workers who mis-handled the item were very apologetic and sympathetic which was appreciated but that only felt better for about 5 minutes. On June 1st we were told the item would be taken away to be appraised and we would be reimbursed for its value. A few weeks and many follow up phone calls later we were told they were waiting for multiple appraisals. They callously offered us $90 so we commissioned our own appraisal based on pictures of the broken article. It was appraised with an insurance value in excess of $1,500 USD. At one point we were told it was out of the hands of the people we had been talking to and they told us to call the Operations Manager who sent us right back to the people we started with. At this point it became clear that no one was really dealing with this at all. More phone calls and more sympathetic promises and then it was July. At this time (after a month) Onside disclosed that they actually had no other appraisals and would honor the one we had paid for. We escalated to the territory manager who assured us the project manager would take care of it. Onside then asked for a release so they could process the claim, so we signed their release and a few more weeks passed by. We kept calling and were told its being processed and all the approvals were in place. We should see payment in next week or two. Now its August but still no sign of any resolution. The people were able to talk to say they dont have visibility into where the process has stopped but assure us it will be resolved soon. Tree weeks ago they said it would be done in two weeks but still nothing.
This family heirloom was the only thing we had left from the generations past, it can never be replaced and although management staff are externally kind, polite and seemingly helpful the reality is that nothing is being done to provide closure. The Project managers can be hard to reach and didnt communicate well throughout the project. To this day they still say they cant tell us when the claim will be processed (but rest assured it is in the works). How hard would it be to call the right people and push the process along. This is a failure from the top down. The operations manager should be interested enough to take notice and make sure the loop gets closed. The territory manager should know enough about the business to find the person thats holding up the claim and ask them to move it along. Instead no one is taking responsibility and we are left dangling. Congratulations Onside you have made us feel like were invisible and dont matter. Compensating a customer for damage to customer property caused by your people should be a number one priority. If you want happy customers and isnt that what you want when youre in business?
While Onside did complete the repairs, they score a big fat zero when it comes to customer service. Unreachable project managers whose voicemails advise you to call someone else who is even less accessible. So you call the head office they promise you someone will call you back, then when you do get a call back, more promises are made and not kept requiring more phone calls. Wash rinse repeat

Approximate cost of services:
$2,000.00
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Company Response

Update - Aug 31: Risa, we are very sorry that you and Daniel experienced flooding in your basement, requiring our services in April. Property damage creates a very stressful time for families. We know, our employees encounter this every day. During these times, we try our very best to work efficiently to return homes back to normal, as quickly as possible, while being kind and empathetic to families impacted by these tragedies. During work in your home, an employee broke a family heirloom which was very special to you. We understand they immediately apologized and they felt terrible for this accident. We understand that a cheque to reimburse this damage has now been received and we thank you for your patience. This will not bring back your family heirloom, but we hope it will in some way make amends for the loss of this broken item. Our administrative process has steps that take time to process payments and cheques. We apologize the time it has taken and additional stress that it has put on you and Daniel. Feedback that you have provided can help bring change, and we hope that it can lead to greater efficiency in our operations at On Side Restoration. We understand our Territory Manager Chris has been in contact with you throughout this process, and he will continue to do so as needed. Please know, that if you have additional concerns you would like to share, our Quality Assurance team monitors and investigates feedback sent their way. They can be reached by email at qualityassurance@onside.ca.
Original response: Hi Daniel. We're very sorry to hear that a family heirloom was broken during work. Words likely can't describe the feeling when an item, passed down from generations, is lost. We understand your Territory Manager Chris Sawicz has been in contact with you. We have forwarded your earlier direct message to him, your Project Manager, our Quality Assurance team, and members of our Senior Leadership team. We have asked each to lend support where they can, to bring this to a resolution for you. In the meantime, contact with Chris is best. If you have additional concerns you would like to share, our Quality Assurance team monitors and investigates feedback sent their way. They can be reached by email at qualityassurance@onside.ca

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Sidney, BC
0/10

Insurance on a home we purchased

Has been going onto 7 months, no organization, job not done, dont know how they are still in business. Absolutely no customer service.

Approximate cost of services:
$25,000.00
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Company Response

Sorry to hear your frustration. We typically forward concerns in reviews to the relevant branch and senior leadership for follow up. With HomeStars it's difficult as we are not provided with contact information for the reviewer. That's ok, and we understand confidentiality. So you are aware, On Side has a Quality Assurance Team that would like to hear your issues directly so they can assist. Our QA Team can be reached via email at qualityassurance@onside.ca. They do investigate issues and concerns with the parties involved. Sincerely, On Side Restoration.

Shelley
Shelley
0 reviews Calgary, AB
0/10

Awful work

Update- a response on this site but still no contact from ANY of the avenues used to contact and address concerns.

This company has been a nightmare to deal with. There has been absolutely no coordination of the trades, which is their role. Workers came without instruction or notice, and the quality of the work has been subpar at best.

Despite escalating issues to the complaints department and the general manager (as the responses to poor reviews suggest), no one has even contacted me to address concerns. I am now dealing directly with my insurance company, hiring trades myself and trying to get the quality issues addressed.

In reading these reviews, I see individuals citing months to get their claims resolved. It has been 14 months for me.

Do not deal with this company and steer clear at any cost!

Approximate cost of services:
$10,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you for sharing your feedback Shelley. Very sorry to hear you have not been contacted about concerns you have raised. We have forwarded your comments on to Calgary management, your PM, our Quality Assurance team and members of our Senior Leadership. This will be discussed. Sincerely, On Side Restoration.

The reviews on this page are the subjective opinion of the Author and not of HomeStars Inc.

More about On Side Restoration Services Ltd.

On Side Restoration Services is ready to assist you with your water / storm / flood damage, mould remediation, fire restoration, storm damage, catastrophic property loss, bio-hazard remediation, content pack out / pack in / restoration. For B2B organizations, On Side features On Side Live, our 24/ 7 call centre ...
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